


A Cubone's Sorrowful Tale

by kaskaskasleil



Category: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: Gengar tries to be a good dad, Ghosts, Graphic Description of Corpses, Nutmeg is a poor bean, Parent-Child Relationship, Past Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Past Domestic Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-18 21:26:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16524959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaskaskasleil/pseuds/kaskaskasleil
Summary: Turns out there's a reason Nutmeg became a Cubone, of all pokemon. It's not a very pretty one, as Gengar finds out...





	A Cubone's Sorrowful Tale

 

* * *

Nutmeg shifted around frantically in her nest. Gengar watched from his spot in front of the fire, having not been able to fall asleep.

 _Must be having another one of those nightmares, poor kid._ Gengar thought as her restless fidgeting continued.

Sure, the kid was annoying, but she certainly didn't deserve any of the shit she'd been through. Besides, over the last couple of months, Gengar had even begun to view Nutmeg as sort of a daughter, having lived in the same house as her and even acted as her much needed parental figure. The tiny Cubone whimpered softly, a sound that broke Gengar's heart, though he wouldn't admit it. Gengar sighed.

_Well, guess I oughta figure what exactly it is the kid dreams about. Might give me a better idea of how to help her. S'ppose it's time to use the ol' dream eater._

Gengar walked over to the trembling Cubone, sitting beside her. He placed a hand on her forehead, bracing himself for what he was about to witness. He knew from previous experiences that Nutmeg's human father had abused, and most likely molested the poor kid. Everything went dark.

Gengar came to in a decent looking human home, wooden floors, pale blue walls, and a large wooden staircase leading to the first story of the house. Gengar's attention was immediately drawn to the scene unfolding in front of him. A small girl with sandy brown hair and black eyes, probably only around four or five years old, cowered behind her mother, a woman with the same black eyes but with instead darker brown hair. Gengar assumed the young girl to be Nutmeg.

A tall man with Nutmeg's sandy blonde hair but with brown eyes shouted at the woman Gengar presumed to be nutmeg's mother. Gengar's hands curled into fists as the man continued to yell at his wife. Suddenly, without warning, the man slamed his hand into the woman's cheek. She sucked in a quick breath, tears streaming down her face. Nutmeg shrieked in terror.

Gengar watched, shocked. Was this the kind of hell Nutmeg had endured for so long? Nutmeg's mother moved her child further behind her, as though to block any hits the bastard might try to throw at the kid. The man curled his hand into a fist, striking the woman hard on her cheek, enough to knock one of her teeth out. Blood now trailed from the brave mother's mouth. Nutmeg sobbed, clearly upset beyond comprehension to see her mother hurt so bad, especially by the kid's own father.

Never before had Gengar wished so much that he could interact with the world currently around him. He wanted to comfort poor Nutmeg, to beat the ever living shit out of her father for treating his wife like that and traumatizing their daughter. But he couldn't. He was simply observing a memory, in which no one could see or hear him. The man suddenly grabbed the woman by her shoulders roughly, throwing her over the banister and onto the first floor as she shrieked in protest, reaching for her child.

Her head hit the hard wood floor, the top of her skull shattering on impact. Blood splattered The walls, the top of the woman's head now lay detached as she lay in a pool of her own blood, brains leaking out from the remaining part of her skull. The man raced down the stairs after her. He hesitated by her corpse for a second before kicking the detached top of the now deceased mother's head.

"Stupid bitch." The man spoke. "Never listened to a damn word I said."

As the detached portion of head hit a wall, the skull broke free from the rest it, bouncing up the stairs and landing right on Nutmeg's head. Nutmeg stared down at the scene, below, a horrified expression on her face. The bastard locked eyes with her.

" _This_ is what happens to women who don't obey men." He spoke cruelly.

Nutmeg collapsed to the ground sobbing, her mother's skull still on her head. The world around Gengar faded, indicating the end of the memory. Gengar snapped back into consciousness, still sitting beside Cubone Nutmeg, a hand on her forehead. Gengar sat in silence for a few moments, still in complete horror over the events he had just witnessed.

His stomach turned as he pictured Nutmeg's mother lying on the cold wooden floor, brains spilling out of her head. Gengar dashed outside, nasiaus feeling becoming unbearable. He ran out into the crisp autumn night, leaves crunching under his feet as he ran behind the house and promptly vomited over the dead leaves. It all made sense now.

 _I never thought the kid's former life was that fucking terrible..._ Gengar collected himself.

 _I mean, I knew she had been through some shit, but nothing like that. To have to see something so horrible, and at such a young age, too. Poor Nutmeg. And after all that I put her through **hell** when she came to this world. I got her chased out of town, for Rayquaza's sake! _A fresh wave of guilt washed over Gengar.

 _She was so courageous, defending her kid even if it meant death. Nutmeg's fath- no, he isn't worthy of being called that. The dick who conceived Nutmeg was a sexist asshole who thought woman were mere objects. She deserved better, her and Nutmeg both._ Gengar stayed silent for a moment, honoring such a courageous woman.

A  _horrible_ thought suddenly flashed through Gengar's mind. Cubone were known for wearing the skulls of their deceased mothers. Part of Nutmeg's mother's skull landed on her head when it cracked open. There was a  _reason_ Nutmeg had become a cubone, of all pokemon. Just as a fresh wave of nasiau passed over Gengar, he was pulled from his thoughts by a familiar voice in the distance.

"G-geng-gar?" Nutmeg called shakily from the house. "Wh-where did you g-go?"

 _Can't stay out here all night._ Gengar concluded racing into the hut.  _Not while my kiddo needs me._

He entered to find Nutmeg sitting upright in her nest, shivering madly, tears streaming down her cheeks. It was a heart breaking sight. Gengar gently lifted her in an arm. Nutmeg nestled into the crook of his arm. Gengar held the cubone close to his chest, gently rocking her, something he remembered having been comforted by as a child.

Nutmeg leaned closer to his chest.

"Did ya have another bad dream, sweetheart?" Gengar spoke softly.

Nutmeg nodded.

"Why don't I get ya some apple cider?" Gengar remembered the cubone's favorite drink. "It'll make ya feel better."

"Y-yes p-please..." Nutmeg replied quietly.

Gengar gently placed her back in her nest, walking over to the small container of apple cider and pouring some in a small clay mug. He carried it over to the fire, heating it up for a few moments before going back over to Nutmeg. He sat down, the tiny cubone scooting into his lap and leaning against his belly as she drank her cider. It was better to not reveal he had seen her dream, Gengar decided, as she might consider it a violation of her privacy. Nutmeg finished, sliding her mug away and huddling closer to Gengar's belly.

"Cold." The cubone stated, shivering.

"Why don't we move ya nest closer to the fire, kiddo?" Gengar replied. "It's a tad colder, now that it's gettin to be autumn."

Nutmeg nodded. Gengar bundled up the straw and moss that made up Nutmeg's nest, moving it close enough to the fire for the cubone to feel its warmth, but not close enough for her to actually burn herself. Nutmeg sat back down in her newly positioned nest. Gengar went to go back to his own, when a tiny clawed hand grabbed hold of his leg. He turned to see Nutmeg clinging to his leg for dear life.

"Please don't leave me!" She panicked.

Gengar sighed. Would she really freak out over him just moving across the room? Then again, she had just remembered some serious shit.

"Fine, kid." He sighed at last. "I'll stay with ya until ya fall asleep, but only for this once."

Gengar sat back down beside Nutmeg, the cubone curling into a ball and drifting off in his lap. He just stared down at the kid for a moment. She seemed so tiny and vulnerable at the moment, yet she was the same kid who'd kicked his ass, held her own against the legendary bird trio, and even defeated Rayquaza, for fucks sake. Well, she had the help of her bulbasaur companion Petal, who was clearly in love with her, but had still fought some pretty tough ass pokemon none the less.

A light breeze blew through the window. Two black tendrils reached in through the hole. Gengar braced himself, preparing to fight off an intruder. A spirit-like entity slid its way through the window. It had a strangelyshaped black body with two arm-like appendages protruding from it. Its eyes were a vivid bright red,tearing up a bit. A long tail-like tendril clasped what appeared to be a golden mask. Gengar realized what it had to be.

_Is that...a yamask?_

Gengar had heard stories of sightings of yamask, but had never seen one for himself. According to rumor, when a human dies, it will sometimes be reborn into the pokemon world as a yamask, revealing itself to pokemon who it knew in its past life, either as a fellow human or a pokemon they had trained. It always sounded like complete bullshit to Gengar, but now that he was seeing one with his own eyes, it was hard to deny its existence. The yamask drifted in front of Gengar, eyeing the sleeping cubone. He tightened his grip on Nutmeg.

 _A yamask?_  Gengar questioned.  _what the hell is it doing in here?! It shouldn't want anything to do with either of us unless..._

The yamask's gaze remained fixated on Nutmeg.

 _Is it the kid's mother?_ Gengar remembered the brunette woman's tragic death.

 **My cHiLd...** The yamask spoke, not opening its mouth, in a strange, distorted femine tone, confirming Gengar's suspicions.

Gengar released his grip on Nutmeg, assuming it safe to let the mother have a better view of her child, but still keeping a close eye on it. It drifted beside Gengar, gently placing a hand on Nutmeg's forehead. The yamask had a lavender honey-like scent to it, radiating an aura of warmness. Nutmeg inhaled deeply, as though able to smell the aroma of her mother. The yamask removed its hand from Nutmeg's forehead, turning its gaze to Gengar once more.

 **YoU HaVe NOt aLwaYs bEEn kiNd tO mY cHIlD.** It spoke once more.

Gengar flinched, his gaze dropping to the floor in shame.

"Nope. Got me there, pal." He confirmed.

The yamask kept its eerie red gaze on Gengar for several minutes. Gengar began to feel extremely unnerved. Finally, it spoke up.

**I sENse ThAt yOU haVE cHAngeD.**

"Huh?" Gengar asked confused.

**YoU hAVE BecOMe a beTtEr pERsoN, GenGAr. YOu aRE thE oNE wHo haS cAreD fOR mY DAughTEr REceNtLy. FOr tHAt, I oWE yOU mY gRAttiTudE.**

"Well, yeah..." Gengar replied, flushed. "I mean I couldn't just leave the kid alone. She's only ten, after all."

 **I caN nO LoNgeR cARe fOR HeR LiKE I uSeD tO, In thIs FoRm.** Yamask continued.  **I MusT ASk oF YoU oNE FiNAl fAVor...**

The yamask paused.

 **WiLl YoU... wILL YOU...** The yamask broke down, crying out, tears streaming from its eyes.  **HiC...** **HIC...** It sobbed.

Gengar felt a wave of pity for the yamask.

 **WiLL YoU TaKE CaRE oF mY DaUgHteR FOr**   **ME?** It choked out. **PLeaSe! PrOmiSE mE yOu wIlL! I BEg of yOU, KinD PoKEMon!**

Gengar froze. Kind pokemon? He never thought he'd hear anyone refer to him as that. As for raising Nutmeg...how could he say no? Especially to such an upset mother who clearly wanted nothing more than to see her child in the care of someone she trusted. Maybe he was a terrible pokemon, but he couldn't decline her request. Besides...hadn't he already been  practically raising the kid?

"I...I" Gengar stamered. "I will. I promise you."

 **Oh THanK YOu sO So SO MuCH!** The yamask cried, overcome with emotion.  **I Am ForEvER iN DEbT tO yOU!**

"No, you're not. It's the least I can do, to atone for all the shi- crap I've done.I owe it to the kid, really." Gengar thought back about how fiercely she defended her child.

"Y'know, that was really brave of you, defending the kid even if you knew it would cost you your life. I admire you for that."

 **WhAT mOTheR WoULdN't dO ThAT fOR ThEIr cHIld?** She questioned.

The yamask glided back over to Nutmeg, pressing her face to the cubone's head. Nutmeg moved her head closer to her mother's, as though subconsciously aware of her presence.

 **My child...** She whispered in a soft, motherly tone.  **I'm so sorry I had to leave you so soon. I wish I could have stayed with you longer. But I never regret doing what I did. Not even for a second. I'll be watching over you, little one. Know I love you unconditionally. Always and forever.**

She began humming a soft melancholy tune that Gengar had heard before, but couldn't remember the name of. Lavender something? It was pretty, what ever it was. She turned to Gengar a final time.

**ThAnk yOU. So, sO mUcH. PLEAse...bE tHe fAThEr sHE nEVer hAD.**

With that, she drifted back out through the window. Nutmeg turned around, whining softly at her mother's absence. She opened her eyes slightly.

"Mother?" She called out sleepily.

"Shhh." Gengar whispered. "It was only a dream."

"But I want mother..." She replied.

"It's all going to be okay, sweetheart. Just go back to sleep." He placed a hand soothingly on her head, using hypnosis.

"Mmmhh..." Nutmeg nestled into his lap once more, soon falling back to sleep.

Gengar smiled a genuine smile. He had a chance to atone for all his crimes. Raising a kid would be no walk in the park, but it would be worth it. For once in his life, he wouldn't fuck something up.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 


End file.
